Dancing Around Ourselves
by redshipper
Summary: as the doctor prescribed, Booth and Brennan try to get themselves in a more social environment that turns out to be far more interesting than bowling or a ceramic class
1. Ballroom Dancing Class

bTitle/b Dancing Around Ourselves (1/2)

"_We danced all night, as the music played_

_The sheets got tangled in the mess we made"_

(Bon Jovi – Hearts Breaking Even)

To him it was astonishingly endearing that she seemed to shiver as he ran the tip of his fingers up and down her arms, occasionaly scrapping it with his nails. Brennan let out a shuddered breath, closing her eyes when his lips, wet and warm, touched her neck, following a path down to her shoulder.

They had been nested against each other for quite some time, touching, experimenting each other with soft touches and kisses, Booth sitting on her bed and his back against the headboard, Brennan sitting between his legs, more than comfortable against him; he had wrapped his arms around her, as she lazily rested her head on his chest.

"Hey, don't you fall asleep. I'm not done kissing you," he said, touching her chin to make her raise her eyes and look at him. She was the most gorgeous thing at night, with sleepy eyes and messy hair, a smile on her face making her already rosy cheeks seem to glow. He couldn't get enough off of those soft lips of hers.

And, even though they had already been awoken for nearly 24 hours straight, he couldn't let go of her.

Even though stars didn't explode and the universe didn't seem to align in a cosmic event, or she even could say it was the best sex she'd ever had in her life, their first time was perfection.

Their first date was a ballroom dance class. Their first real date, although neither was aware of that being a date, it had all the requirements for it to be called so. It all started as an imposition Dr Sweets had put on them. Try to spend more time together in a social enviroment and do not talk about work, he told them.

Booth had remembered that she once told him how much she wanted to take dance classes, but was gawky and uncoordinated. He didn't know exactly why he had chosen such place, the countless times she had stepped on his feet were far too many for him to regret the decision.

Maybe that's why. Every time she stepped on his feet she smiled, graciously, apologetically, somewhat embarassed, a glint in her eyes. And every time he made her spin she would laugh out loud, beautifully, as only Brennan could do. The sheer glee on her face was worthy the probable soreness he was going to endure the next day.

And that beautiful skirt she was wearing. Knee-length, polka dot, matching the red high-heeled shoes and wavy hair in a ponytail, looking young and laid-back, flushed and slightly sweaty for the efforts on the dancefloor.

They tried to follow the instructor's leads, but more than often he caught himself staring back at her, strands of unruly hair falling against her cheeks, as she looked down at her own feet, to make sure she was doing it right. He was smitten.

"Booth, this is such a silly idea, we'd better give it up completely," she suggested, when the dance instructor announced that from now on they would practice some mambo steps.

"What? No way, Bones, this will be fun!" he said, grinning. Like hell he'd ever miss a chance of seeing Brennan shaking her hips to some mambo moves.

"This is going to be a total disaster," she said.

Booth laughed out loud, as the instructor started doing the first steps and she followed them, awkwardly. He did the same, realizing he wasn't doing much better than she was.

He looked down at her, feet moving the the rhythm of the song, eyes focused on following the steps. _Two three four, hold one, two three four, hold one_.

Booth held her hand in his, noticing it was slightly moist from sweat, taking her lead. _Two three four, hold one, two three four, hold one_. And then their feet seemed to find their own pace. _Two three four, hold one, two three four, hold one. Quick quick slow, quick quick slow, quick quick slow_. She stepped on his feet again.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry!"

_Two three four, hold one, two three four, hold one_. She dared removing her eyes from her feet and looked up at him, who was half-grinning in her direction. _Two three four, hold one, two three four, hold one._ In fact, he was finding it all way too amusing, she thought.

"What?" she asked, accidentaly stepping on his foot, yet again.

"Geez, Bones! Ouch!"

"Sorry!"

_Two three four, hold one, _then_ two three four, hold one._

_Right foot back, left foot replace_

_and right foot to the side_

_left foot foward_

_right foot replace_

_left foot to the side _

And all of a sudden she seemed to be getting the hang of it. She was a beautiful sight, Booth thought, smiling broadly, following her lead. _Two three four, hold one, two three four, hold one_. This was getting easier by the minute, if she would only avoid stepping on his foot.

_Rocking hips, replace foot, side, rocking back, replace, side, rocking foward, replace and side. Two three four, hold one, two three four, hold one_. Everything altogether now, it was getting harder. _Two three four, hold one, two three four, hold one_. She didn't step on his feet this time. _Two three four, hold one, two three four, hold one_. Focus on the steps, Booth, or she might realize you've been staring at her this whole time. _Two three four, hold one, two three four, hold one._ Yes, dancing with Bones was a nice thing to do, she's not as bad as she said she was.

"Ouch!"

"I'm so sorry, Booth!"

Dancing with Bones was very nice, when she wasn't stepping on his feet, he thought, grimacing. What the hell were these shoes made of, steel? She couldn't weigh that much, she's too thin. Booth felt like spinning her in a wild dance move, but he would't trust his ability now. Not when she was rocking her hips and griping his hand in hers, leading him and staring at his face, letting out a pleased laughter when she realized she could do it without glancing down at her feet anymore. _Two three four, hold one, two three four, hold one_. Booth felt as if his heart, instead of his feet, was skipping a beat now.

The thick and humid breeze from an early summer night enveloped them as they left the building. Booth felt alive, excited, happy for the lively activity they've just performed. Much better than bowling or ceramic classes, anyway.

Booth led her towards his car, as she talked cheerfully.

"I don't think I've had fun like this in years! That was awesome, Booth, I'm seriously thinking about enrolling in this class from now on."

He chuckled loudly, captivated by her energy.

"I'm serious! And why don't we do this together? Dr Sweets would encourage us when he knows we've found an activity that is not related to work."

"I don't know, Bones. My feet are hurting because of your stepping on them all night long with those heels. I don't think I can go through all that again."

"I told you I'm not a good dancer," she said, shyly.

"Not a good dancer? Ha! That's the understatement of the year! I couldn't think of anything that you'd do badly, Bones, but dancing? You suck!"

They stepped into the car and Booth drove off to her apartment, while they continued their conversation, cheerfully.

"Hence the dancing classes. And it wasn't all that bad. I mean, I can slow dance."

"Everybody can slow dance"

"Well, but I can slow dance very well. As long as my partner allows me to lead, of course."

Booth laughed out loud again, glancing at her. The streetlights as they drove by borrowed her a silver glow that suited her; in fact, as Booth was starting to realize, there wasn't a moment where he looked at Brennan and didn't think she was drop-dead gorgeous. But at this very moment, as she untucked her hair from the messy ponytail and shook it loose, leaving them wavy and beautiful, he found trouble breathing.

The ride to her place was quick and he followed her to her doorstep.

"Would you like some coffee?" she asked, slightly breathless.

"Coffee? Bones, come on! It's Saturday night, let's have a beer!"

Brennan smiled sweetly at him and rolled her eyes.

"Ok. Would you like a beer?"

"I'd love that."

He smiled broadly and followed her inside the apartment.


	2. And She Owns His Heart

bTitle/b Dancing Around Ourselves (2/3)

_Chapter 2: And She Owns His heart_

"_So in a manner of speaking_

_I just want to say_

_That just like you I should find a way_

_To tell you everything_

_By saying nothing" _

(Martin L. Gore – In a Manner of Speaking)

Brennan kicked her shoes to the side, groaning in relief, and walked to the kitchen barefooted. Booth looked around, taking in the familiar sight of her living room and the soft light of the lamps she had just lit. With no ceremony whatsoever, he plopped himself onto Brennan's couch, that way-too-comfortable and way-too-expensive couch of hers, sinking further into it, getting more comfortable. There was no doubt he felt completely at ease at her home.

And Brennan seemed to notice it as well, as she returned to the living room, two bottles of cold beer in hand, raising her eyebrows at him. She turned her sarcastic comment into a smirk as she sat by his side on the couch, putting her feet on the coffee table in front of them, groaning again.

"I don't know how you can handle walking around in those shoes."

"They're beautiful. And they're supposed to be dance shoes, which obviously ruins its purpose once dance shoes hurt your feet if you spent a great amount of time dancing."

"Oh, well. You women and your shoes."

"They're new, that's why."

Booth glanced at her shoes, lying forgotten next to the door, then at her feet, resting on the small table. They were beautiful, not too big and more delicate than he would have imagined; two reddish marks tainted the paleness of her skin, as he came to realize they were blisters that were probably hurting her all night long. He took a long swig of his beer and put it aside, gesturing to her.

"Come on, lemme massage your feet."

She didn't question and turned slightly, so she could rest her legs on the couch and her calves on his lap. Booth's hands felt slightly moist from the cold beer he was holding, but soon the warm sensation of his sightly rough hands sent a wave of relief up her legs, soothing her.

"Oh, that feels good!" she groaned, huskily, letting her head fall back against the couch. He had, indeed, skilled hands and worked them up and down her feet, each in turn, from her ankles to her toes.

Brennan felt like she was melting in his hands, relaxing completely against him and allowing the full weight of her legs on him.

"Is it good?"

"Wonderful..." she said, looking down at him through heavy eyelids. Although he was gentler than she would have liked him to be, the touch of his hands on her skin felt nice, more like a caress than a massage. He ran his fingertips over each toe and the top of her feet, kneading slowly and then backwards, so he was touching the sole of her feet now. Brennan unconsciously wiggled her toes, squirming.

"You're ticklish!" what was supposed to be a question sounded more like a surprised statement.

"A little."

"I would've never pegged you as ticklish." Booth smiled, amused, as he kneaded her ankles and the way up her calves, feeling the taut muscles under his fingers and the soft pale skin exquisetely lighter than his own, watching her nearly in awe.

"That feels really good, Booth."

He smiled, glancing at her, as his hands continued to touch her, now kneading the balls of her feet and the way up to her ankle again.

"You know, the Thai believe that foot massage works better if together with the upper body massage."

"Are trying to coax me into massaging your shoulders or anything?"

Brennan laughed.

"No, I was just making a comment. But you're welcome to it, if you'd like to."

"I'm not done with you're feet just yet, Bones," he said, applying harder pressure to the area just above her ankles, making her moan lightly and close her eyes.

He enjoyed the sight of her, leaning against the couch, legs against his lap and melting under his touch. He wondered for a second what it would feel like to touch her bare back, soothing away the stress until she was nearly asleep.

Lost in these thoughts, Booth let his hands slide aimlessly towards her calf until he was touching the insides of her knee, fingers tracing a ticklish path that made her squirm.

Brennan opened her eyes to stare at him, mouth slightly opened, as his fingers now ran slightly under the hem of her skirt. Half expecting her to complain, he recoiled downwards to her calf.

Instead, he saw a glint in her eyes and she pulled her skirt upwards her thighs a few inches, allowing him a better view of a part of her legs that he had never seen before. Booth couldn't take his eyes off that uncovered area, that seemed even smoother than her calves and the even more appealing area still hidden under her reddish skirt.

He also noticed that she seemed to blush. Either for coyness or the effect he had on her; but the sureness of her gesture was blatant to him.

Booth accepted the invitation and let his fingers roam over the satin softness of her inner thigh, just above her knee. She squirmed lightly, again.

"You have such soft skin, Bones."

"Thank you" she said, barely a whisper. Probably because his hand was sneaking up her thigh, making her quiver ever so lightly and blush even more.

Brennan closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the couch. She gave into his touch for a little longer before opening her eyes again and meet his, staring intently at her.

In a sudden movement, she moved closer to him and straddled his legs, supporting herself half on him half on her knees.

"Bones." He said her pet name, just because, looking up to her face. He knew what she wanted to do, he knew all along that their actions would eventually lead them to this place and yet he felt mildly surprised for it finally happening.

"Booth. I think I want to cross that line now," she said softly, leaning, so her face was close to his.

"We've crossed that line ages ago, Bones," he said softly, almost a whisper.

His hands moved to her back, caressing the way to her shoulders and landing on her cheeks, cupping her. Even though he wanted her badly, it wasn't about lust right now. He wanted to acknowledge how precious she was to him.

As though she did understand the underlying statements in his eyes, she caressed his chin, soft fingers roaming lightly over his face, as if memorizing his features, studying him. Brennan had such an intense stare, watching him closely, fingers silently examining him before she finally lean further to brush her lips against his, impossibly softly and slowly. Booth wanted more. He followed her as she pulled away, watching him again, gauging his reactions. They were certainly crossing yet another line, the one where she seemed to realize she didn't just want him, but the one where she realized he wasn't just a friend or a potential sex partner.

"Should we discuss it, then?" she asked, her eyes focused on his plump lips, aching to kiss him fully.

"I don't know. What exactly do you want?"

She pondered his words for some moments.

"You."

"You've had me for some time now, Bones, you've had my heart all along. How come you never realized that?"

Brennan smiled, a small and bittersweet smile as her index finger touched his lips and her eyes pierced his.

"I don't know how to deal with it, Booth."

He then realized the gleam in her eyes, as if she had tears threatening to fall down her cheeks, her face looked constraint, Booth pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her back, and kissed her cheek, nuzzling her, brushing his way to her lips and opening up to her, feeling her tongue find his, as they deepend the kiss for their own sake.

Brennan settled further onto his lap, sighing into his mouth and closing her eyes. Uncounsciously, she also wrapped her arms around him, hands fumbling towards the short hair at the back of his head to play with it. She had known it, of course she had. She wasn't stupid, she was just too scared to admit she saught this very moment and was even ashamed to admit how scared and vulnerable she felt about it.

Their tongues met in a hurry, in a hunger, their lips collided and hands touched each other's body in frantic movements; Brennan moaned slightly as the tip of his fingers roamed under the hem of her blouse, touching her lightly, sending jolts of eletricity throughout her body.

She held his hand and put it against her breast and he looked down at her, never parting the kiss. He caressed her, rubbing his thumbs against her nipples. Brennan's eyes fluttered and she quivered slightly.

She pulled away, making him gasp for air, for her, groaning at her absence. The loud thudding in her ears warned her of the adrenaline as she was aware of all her reactions, to all reactions in her body to what they were doing, from the thrill and rush of adrenaline his scent ignited in her to the small groans as he also reacted to hers.

Brennan removed her blouse and bra, standing bare in front of him, under his gaze, the raw awe in his features and curiosity in his fingers that touched her, explored her naked torso. He leaned again, this time kissing the column of her neck instead of her lips and fastly going down to her breasts, hungrily lapping at her nipples. At this point she couldn't hold back a small moan in appreciation.

"Booth..." she whispered his name, tugging at his shirt until she could finally managed to take it off his body, exposing his chest to her. It was her turn to run her fingers against him, exploring and teasing him.

Booth pushed her so Brennan was lying on the couch, looking up at him, and he stood up, finishing undressing. He stood bare in front of her, watching her as she laid on the couch, her eyes tracing as much of his body as she could. He was fully hard now and barely within her reach. She stretched out her hand to touch him, fingers tracing lightly the head of his penis, spreading moisture and he stepped closer so she could grasp his length and wrap her hand around him. Booth groaned, closing his eyes, and nearly tumbled, kneeling in front of her; suddenly he was atop her on the couch again, watching her face as she continuously caressed him.

"What, you're speechless now?" she said, a small smirk on her face.

"What do you wanna talk about?" he whispered, his voice somewhat constraint, and moved slighlty so his hand could touch her. He found his way past her belly, past her skirt and panties, finding the wetness between her legs and rubbed his fingers against her, roughly; it was her turn to close her eyes and moan loudly. "You're so wet!"

"I can get easily aroused if properly stimulated"

Booth groaned in mock annoyance and kissed her on the mouth, hungrily searching for her tongue in a breath-taking, mind-blowing kiss. He pulled away as fast as he started kissing her.

"We can work on your dity talk later, Bones, right now I'm more interested in some kind of non-verbal responses from you," he said, unzipping her skirt and pulling it away, along with her panties, gazing down at her bare underneath him.

"Booth..." she whispered, squirming in antecipation

He moved again so that he was kneeling on the floor, and held her by her thighs, pulling her closer to him.

Brennan closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, waiting for the feel of his lips against hers and, even though she was prepared for the sensation, it still overwhelmed her. Yes, she could blame it on the chemicals, on pheromones and on whatever logical reason she could think of whenever she could think rationally again; even though there were moments in her sex life that she could think straight during intercourse, be bored even, there was something in the combination of his tongue and lips against her that nearly sent her off, hovering the couch.

Booth's tongue worked her with no ceremonies but with a sureness of someone who knew what he wanted to do. For a brief while Brennan could keep track of her surroundings and the high-pitched whimpers coming out of her mouth; she was aware that she would be probably tugging at his hair a little too harsh and that both her legs were over his shoulders; that was until his teeth started nibbling her clit and the uncontrollable buckling started. She pressed him tighter against her as she came.

She was breathing hard, her chest moving up and down fastly as she tried to regain her breath. A tickle on her neck made her squirm, as she realized he was feather-light kissing her again; she became aware of the world outside her own self when a gentle but steady grasp of his hand on her hair made her look up at him. His erection was pressing against her inner thigh and she raised her legs, shifting, so it would touch her between the legs, rubbing against her clitoris. Booth moaned, letting out a harsh pant that brushed her cheek. He was hovering above her, supporting his weight on his elbows and she could feel him tremble over her, on a huge effort to not come right now.

She felt her lips twitching in a smile when she realized the naked adoration on his face, underneath all the lust. He was so hard against her, trembling with lust to be inside her and yet he stopped to gaze down at her.

Wrapping her legs around him, she moved her hips and pulled him inside her, slow and deep. Booth panted and groaned, closing his eyes as he filled her, the wetness of hers enveloping him like heated water in a bathtub, soothing and yet burning at the first contact. And that's how she felt, as if she was on fire, him burning her from inside in a delightful and slightly painful sensation.

"Oh, fuck!" she couldn't suppress a whimper as he pulled out slowly, starting to move, incredibly slow. He looked at her, surprisedly pleased at her cursing, and pushed deeper, faster.

Brennan saw beads of sweat on his forehead and she ached to licked it, taste him more, have more of him. She moved her hands to the base of his neck and pulled his face closer to her, covering him with wet and open-mouthed kisses, her tongue darting out here and there to lick the salt off his skin until he finally rested his forehead against hers, noses touching. Brennan noticed the soft smile on his face beneath the grunting sounds he was making; the adorably hot, completely arousing sounds, mixing with her whimpers and moans. He was all around her; his forearms, where he supported himself so his weight wouldn't crush her, were like a cage around her face; she was very aware of her nipples brushing against his skin and the friction sending them taut, aching to be touched. She was aware, also, of the searing kiss his mouth pulled hers into; another breath-taking one, where their tongues seemed to duel and push against each other, sucking and biting so eagerly he seemed to try and release the tention in his body throughout his mouth. She watched him through heavy eyelids.

Brennan was breathless at the sight of him, so lost in her observation that she barely missed the tightening in her belly; although she was completely overwhelmed by him, she knew, she wouldn't come right now and was just torturing him.

"Come on, Booth," she coaxed him "come inside me, come on."

"But... Bones..." he tried to say, but couldn't form a coherent sentence.

"It's okay, come inside me now."

He nodded and pushed harder into her, finally coming in hot shots inside her, grunting as he did so. For a moment he stopped, pushing for one last time and collapsed against her, half of his weight on the couch, half on her.

Booth stood still for a while, just regaining his breath, coming in and out in rapid gushes against her left nipple. He rested his head against her breast, wrapping his arms tight around her, caressing her.

Once again her moved slightly, getting more comfortable against her moist skin, as her fingers found his hair and caressed him lightly. Her legs eased the grip around him and fell, limp, against the couch.

"Amazing, Bones... you're amazing."

She smiled smugly, tugging slightly at his hair, feeling it moist with his sweat against her hands. They've fallen silent for a while, just breathing; Brennan was deeply lost in thoughts, concentrated on his hard breathing against her and on what they've just done. She couldn't exactly tell what she was feeling about having sex with her partner. Actually, she couldn't just say they've had sex when she was aware that they've just shared a deeper connection, which she wasn't quite sure which was yet.

"Booth?" she called, as his silence started bothering her.

She heard no response. When Brennan looked down at him she saw he had fallen asleep and was breathing evenly now, comfortably nested against her chest. She smiled and squirmed down a little so she could look at his face better, so peaceful, seeming unaware of his surroundings, as if he was already dreaming. He had that look of adoration again, the same one she saw on his face a little while ago.

Brennan raised her hand and caressed his face with the tip of her fingers; she traced his features, his cheeks and nose, traced the countours of his eyebrows and his lips. Right now his lips were warm and rosy, still, silent, for he was inside his own mind for a while. At least that's what she thought until he said her name.

"Bones."

He murmured, echoing in her chest. Yet again the flutter in her stomach made its presence known when he opened his sleepy eyes to look at her and his face changed slowly into a smile. Brennan felt overwhelmedly happy.

"Let's go to bed, Booth."

"Yes, in a while. C'mere," and he pulled her for another kiss, slowly sliding his tongue against hers, lazily rubbing it and caressing her. He moved so he was over her again, for better leverage, and deepened the kiss, opening his mouth further and causing her to moan. Brennan felt his lips twitch in a smile and opened her eyes to find his own open, staring down at her, watching her.

They probably spent a long time there, on her couch, just kissing each other and Brennan felt as if she was melting in his arms, a lazy warm feeling she filed in the back of her brain for further investigation.

Booth parted the kiss with a loud sound and stood up, reaching his hand out to her. She let her gaze travel up and down his body for a moment, and he seemed to glow in the dim lights of her living room. Booth seemed comfortable enough with himself to let her stare at him and didn't look bashful; instead, he seemed to be turned on by her curiosity as his penis seemed to harden .

"Let's go bed, Bones."

She accepted his hand and held it, allowing him to pull her up to her feet and felt him pull her closer to him, wrapping his eager arms and hands around her, touching her once again. She enjoyed the feeling and let her head rest against his chest, as his hands roamed over her belly and up to her breasts.

If Brennan had actually stopped to wonder what it would be like to have sex with her partner, she would've concluded he'd be such an attentive lover, as he was an attentive partner and friend. And, still, it surprised her as he seemed to ignore his own arousal to make sure she'd get hers.

They stumbled into the bedroom and onto the bed, not even bothering to pay attention to the obects they hit along their way.


	3. Of Anger and Other Feelings

Spoilers for the end of Season 3

Spoilers for the end of Season 3

A/N: In this reality, Zack didn't find the the package with the mandible in while Booth and Brennan were having an argument. Instead, he found it slightly aftwerwards.

On a sunny Thursday right after their first night together, they had a case to work on. She was locked in her office, filling in reports when he arrived, a broad smile on his face and the familiar energy she was so acquainted with.

Brennan raised her eyes to look at him, while he gave her details of the case after a long description of his morning's incident at the parking lot and she listened patiently.

He didn't mention that they had slept together or the sex they had. Actually, that seemed to never had happened until the moment he sat closer to her to read an extract of a report she wanted to show him. The familiar scent of his cologne and his own scent brought to her mind back the memories of that day.

"Do you want to order thai food tonight?" she said, out of the blue.

"Uh, yeah. We could get our notes together and wrap up our last case."

"No, I don't mean to work tonight. I wanted to have thai food and sex. With you. At my apartment. Would you like it?"

Her blatant honesty blew him away. He laughed, slightly nervous.

"Sure Bones. That would be nice."

She smiled and nodded at him. And turned back to the file in her hands and didn't talk about it anymore that day.

X X X

A week later she found a pair of his socks while she was going through her laundry and that fact, far from annoying her, amused Brennan and brought a warm a smile to her face. When she realized they hadn't spoken to each other since the day before, she picked up her phone to call him.

He interrupted a session of situps to answer the phone, running to it and throwing his sweaty body onto his sofa.

"Hey," She said, folding an old T-shirt of hers.

"Hey, Bones, what's up?"

"It's Sunday afternoon."

Booth chuckled "I know. That's what it said on today's paper."

"What are you doing?"

"Oh, nothing important, just working out. And you?"

"Laundry," she replied, images of him doing pushups and situps in his living room filled her mind.

"Good."

"I think I'd like to try that pie you're always trying to convince me to eat."

He would probably never fully understand that woman, but she sure knew how to make his day brighter. He laughed and shook his head.

"Sure, Bones. Pick you up in 20 minutes?"

"Yeah, sounds good," she replied, putting away the sorted pile of dirty clothes "oh, and Booth? Don't take a shower, ok?"

He showed up at her door 30 minutes later, actually late; they ended up having that pie as a dessert for a very late dinner, instead of an afternoon snack. Instead, she spent most of the afternoon licking the salt off his body.

She still didn't like pies but she found out she really enjoyed the taut muscles of his inner thighs.

X X X

She found herself putting her hand atop his when a particularly difficult case crossed their way. A teenage foster girl was murdered and, although she wouldn't admit it, those kind of cases always got the worst of her.

She accepted the ride home he offered and the guy hug, as he walked her to her doorstep. From the hug to the kissing, she didn't know exactly how it went but then, again, they were fumbling with their clothes on their way to her bedroom and sharing coffee the next morning. He made her freshly squeezed orange juice while she blew her hair dry, as if it was the most ordinary thing in the world, for them.

X X X

Booth and Zack were in her apartment to try and find the crime weapon, that could help free her father. At the most awkward moment, she found comfort in his features, trying his best to set her stoic and logical self off guard. And then she finally told him how nice he really was to her. At that moment, she meant he was nice because he was helping her free her father, but she really meant much more. Booth was aware of that, the underlying and unspoken words in her eyes were enough for him. He could see her bare her soul to him through those beautiful blue eyes.

He held her on the stairs, as she silently waited for the veredict. He felt her hand tighten against his skin, she silently telling him how nervous she was about the outcomes. He understood her need to be silent, he always did, as much as he would understand when she just rolled on her side on the bed, after a really bad case, and didn't want him to even touch her.

To his utter surprise, that particular evening she showed up at his doorstep, when he had expected her to be celebrating with her family. Brennan pulled him into a hug and kissed him, on the lips, nearly devouring his mouth and then asked if she could come in for a while.

That was the first time they had sex but didn't sleep together. She left him to spend the night with her father and brother.

"Thank you," she said when she was leaving. And she really meant it.

X X X

Please, don't die on me, please don't die on me, she chanted on the back of her mind, as the paramedics put him in the ambulance, he already unconscious.

During the drive to the hospital she felt as if in some kind of torpor, as if she was experiencing someone else's emotions. It was weird and awkward and Brennan didn't know where to stand. She saw the doctors taking him away, an oxygen mask on his face, into a long corridor where she couldn't follow him anymore.

A warm, delicate hand startled her, Angela tried to hold and consolate her. Brennan didn't understand why her friend was crying that much, as tears flood freely down her face. Booth would live. Of course he would, it was Booth. He must live.

It felt awkward to see Angela crying while her eyes felt so dry and her insides so numb.

"Sweetie..." she said, pulling Brennan into an embrace.

"He's going to be fine, Ange." And she was that sure back then.

X X X

She knew she should go home and change her clothes and that the blood stains on her green blouse and on her hands made people at the hospital look startled and worried at her. Not that she minded, she would only sit on one of those uncomfortable benches and watch time goes by. She saw Angela asleep by her side and looked up at the annoying television in the waiting room. How could people handle these situations? She felt like she was going insane, sitting there, unable to do anything but wait.

After what felt like forever, a doctor came up and told them he was in an induced coma. Yes, it was as serious as it sounded and her stomach sank inside her. But he was strong, he was healthy, he would recover. She silently nodded her head in agreement, yes. She had understood what the doctor meant.

"Can I see him?" she heard herself saying, in a odd and raspy voice.

He looked frail, vulnerable, lying on the hospital bed, connected to gadgets and equipments which she silently named in her mind. She took a quick glance around and found herself alone with him. And then she realized she didn't know exactly what to do. Talk to him? But he couldn't hear her, that seemed silly. Maybe just look at him and sit by his side for a while? She really didn't know what to do.

Brennan walked closer until he was within her reach and raised the non-bloody hand to touch him, caressing his hair. Damn it, he felt warm, but not as he usually felt, hot-blooded, smiling at her and lively. He looked as though he was just asleep, only she was aware of the implications of an induced coma.

She felt a lonely tear running down her cheek and it burnt her eyes. Soon her vision was blurry and she couldn't see him straight because she couldn't control those damn tears anymore and she felt angry. Angela would say that it was pretty normal that she cried, but still she felt just angry for her being uncapable to control her emotions right now.

Brennan leaned against him and kissed his forehead, letting a tear drop on him.

X X X

She sat outside the Jeffersonian for nearly two hours. It was a beautiful and warm morning and she was wearing too much clothes for that kind of weather, but she didn't even feel that.

Angela appeared at the door and walked towards her, sitting by her side on the bench.

"Hey, sweetie. What are you doing here?"

"Am I being needed at the lab? I'll be there in a second, I'm just... well, I just had a..." she waved the empty cup of coffee on her hand. Brennan closed her eyes and sighed. She felt so tired and still it was so early.

"Why don't you go home, Bren? You really should take some time off."

"I'm fine, Ange."

"How can you be fine? Booth's dead, Brennan," she said, looking at her friend in disbelief.

"I know that. But to be wandering around weeping and sobbing will be no help, will it? Or will it bring him back? So, the best I can do is focus on something useful."

"Bren..."

"I'm just having some coffee, I'll be in the lab in a few moments. Can I please be alone for now?"

"You know, that thing you're doing isn't healthy. It'll all hit you harder than you're expecting any time now."

"What will hit me hard?"

"All those felings you're bottling up inside you. I just don't believe you're reacting like this to Booth's death. Your partner and friend is dead, Bren, and you're calmly sitting here drinking coffee."

She paused for a moment, staring at some blank spot in front of her.

"I'm not saying I don't feel it, Ange. Of course I do, Booth was..." she paused, trying to find a word to define exactly what he was to her. She simply couldn't just voice it right now, she didn't even want to think about what they've been. "But life just won't stop for people to grief, the best we should do is continue doing what we're supposed to do. I guess that's what he'd expect from me."

She considered telling her friend the little secret she and Booth had been sharing all this time, she even opened her mouth to say so, but stopped as Angela sobbed louder. Brennan turned her face to Angela, who had, again, tears running down her eyes. She looked truly miserable.

"I'm really sorry, Bren. You know that, don't you?"

"Yes, I know. Thank you, Ange," she said, holding her friend's hand.

Angela would be fine, eventually. She knew she would. Brennan knew that they both would be fine and that the mourning period was necessary and even socially required. She knew that and still she couldn't force herself to feel it. She couldn't feel anything right now, except for a hollow feeling in her chest. That was normal, she supposed, when a close one was deceased. She felt something similar when she realized she wouldn't see her parents again and she overcame that horrible feeing. She would overcome it again.

The awareness the emptiness in her chest would go away was the thing she clung to the most fiercely she could right now.

X X X

"Passion, because anger is a passion. Anger for being manipulated!" she said, the anger rising in her voice as she leaned closer to his face.

"Oh, you know what? Forget it..." he turned away from her, leaving the platform. "We'll talk again later, when you're not hysterical anymore. I'll be in your office."

Booth walked towards the stairs, climbing his way up to her office.

"Hysterical?!" she was furious now. Actually, she felt as if the blood in her veins was boiling about 99 degrees.

Brennan walked down the platform, following him, as the others stared in some sort of morbid curiosity.

"What do you mean, hysterical, Booth? How would you feel if someone you trusted had manipulated you? I'm sure you'd feel the same justified anger!"

"Not justified, Bones, because I've just given you my reasoning and you completely ignored it!"

"Because you should've called me!"

"I couldn't!"

"Why didn't you just break protocol, you do it when you think it's okay for you to do it, didn't you think you should break it to spare me from the hell your dying had become?" she was nearly yelling by now, waving her hands to emphasize her words.

He stopped and looked at her, a small grin on his lips.

"Hell, uh? So you really missed me, Bones!"

"Of course I did, Booth! I'm not as cold as you might think! I have feelings, you know?"

"Aww, you missed me, Bones, that is sweet!" he said, wrapping his arms around her.

That was enough, she thought, what on earth gave him the right to make fun of her like this? She punched him on the chest, as strongly as she could and, as he ducked, she continued trying to hit him, wherever she could reach, just punching towards him and following him as he moved away from her, trying to avoid being hit again.

"They told me you were in a coma, you bastard!" she yelled at him "And then I got a call in the middle of a night where I couldn't sleep to tell me you were dead! And all the while you were alive and well and allowed the FBI lie to me!"

She was punching him harder now and, before she could do him some serious demage, he managed to hold both her wrists.

"Stop it, Bones, stop!" he yelled back at her. She now tried desperately to get free of his tight grasp, shaking her arms furiously. "I don't get why you are so angry!"

"Because!" she said, her voice shaking like her hands "I thought you were dead!"

Booth looked at her and understood it. The moment he stopped fighting her back she also stopped trying to punch him; his grasp on her loosened and he rubbed the way up to her shoulders.

Brennan's lips seemed to twitch lightly and soon she broke into sobs, tears flooding down her eyes.

"Bones..." Booth pulled her into his arms, into a tight embrace. He should've known it, the minute she was forced to face his death, she put her feelings in a box, which it didn't mean they stopped hurting her. When she realized how worthless all she's been through actually was because he was alive, she felt angry and, deep inside, relieved.

"I'm sorry, Bones, I really am."

"They told me you were dead."

Booth held her tighter and she wrapped her arms around him, wetting the collar of his jacket with her tears, breathing in his scent. She then realized she wasn't angry anymore, but suddenly she was oddly happy to be in her office, in his arms, his scent filling her lungs once again.

He pulled away, holding her face in his hands and stared at her.

"God, how I missed you," he said, pulling her to his lips and kissing her soflty. Booth thought about doing that since the moment he had woken up on the hospital bed, where the only familiar face he recognized was his boss'. He had expected to see her first thing but instead she was informed of his death.

They parted the kiss and held each other, as her sobs faded away.

"Doctor Brennan?" Zack's shy voice interrupted them "There's a package for you"

X X X

She hated when things caught her off guard. She hated when she just didn't see what was right in front of her eyes and that made her angry.

Booth sat by her side and read the letter to her, trying to convince her she did gave something to Zack. She should've known better. She should've paid more attention to her grad student while he still was a grad student.

As she leant against Booth and felt him leaning slightly against her as well, she thought that she actually should pay more attention to people in general. She haven't even told Booth how much she appreciated his company before he was shot and when she was told he was dead... she didn't want to think about it right now, it was useless to mull over things that had already happened and that she had no control over.

"Booth?" she said softly, not looking at him.

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're not dead."

"Me too, Bones. Me too."

They shared another quiet moment and he searched for her hand, holding it between his. She was cold, her hands were much colder than usual and he rubbed it lightly between his palms, bringing it to his lips to plant a kiss upon it.

"I told Sweets you were just a partner, but I lied," she said, sitting up straighter and staring at him. Booth looked mildly baffled at her words.

"What are you talking about, Bones?"

"You're more than a partner, you're my friend. I want you to know that."

"Thank you. And you..."

"Maybe even more than just a friend, you're probably my best fiend, I have never shared such deep connecton with anyone else. Maybe Angela but I don't have sex with her on a regular basis like we do."

Booth chuckled lightly, not knowing exactly what to say, but it wouldn't matter anyway because she hadn't finished just yet.

"And thank you for not pressing me into a relationship. I really appreciate that you don't force me into changing things just now. I like what we have at the moment and the fact that only you and I know about it makes it... more enticing," she finished her sentence with a small smile.

"You know, I think you're more human that you give yourself credit for, Bones. Only I am the only one who get to see it."

"I just wanted you to know that. In case you die again, it's been said."

He laughed and held her hand tighter.

"Same here, I feel the same, baby. I took a bullet for you, you should know that by now."

"That's highly questionable. I could have gladly taken that bullet."

"Gladly? That thing hurts like hell and I did it so that crazy psycho didn't kill you and you say that you'd gladly take it? You should just have said _'No, Booth, you're my hero! Thanks for saving my life'_" he mocked her in a falsetto "And then thank me properly, instead of punching me at my own funeral."

"It couldn't be your funeral because, you know, you weren't dead."

"You were supposed to know that."

"Well, I didn't and you should've called me."

"Here we go again..."

"I'm trying to be nice to you but you make it impossible, Booth."

"How many times are we going to argue over the same things? I couldn't tell you!"

"But you were supposed to... fine. I'm officially giving up."

"So that means I actually iwin/i this argument?"

"Yup, whatever you want, Booth. You're the one who came back from the dead."

"Well, but what's the fun of wining the argument if you're all pouty at me now? No, you can win this argument."

"I've given it up to you, Booth, you win. You couldn't have called."

"No, you were right. I should've called you."

Brennan's face slowly turned into a grin.

"Wait a minute! You knew I was going to say that! You're manipulating me!"

"I don't know how I did it, but if that's what it took me to get you to agree with me, then, yes, I just manipulated you."

"You did, you little weasel," he said, wrapping her arms around her into a tight embrace. He was getting more comfortable each day with the idea that he simply adored that irritating creature in his arms.

She also had leaned how comfortable it felt to be in his arms. Addictive, even. Brennan closed her eyes and let her head fall against his shoulder.

"Just promise me won't become a serial killer's apprentice," she said quietly, and he identified the hint of pain in her voice.

"I promise I won't."

And they would be fine.

THE END


End file.
